The solar industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years as the levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) associated with the generation of energy through solar power systems has decreased to the point that it is approaching grid parity. As a result, electrical utilities have become increasingly interested in the development of solar power generation systems for incorporation into energy grids.
Approaches to utilizing solar power include the use of large scale solar power plants and distributed solar systems (e.g., distributed rooftop solar systems) where multiple rooftops in a housing development are covered by solar panels strung together to generate power. The use of distributed rooftop solar systems may be advantageous, for example, in reducing transmission losses by bringing energy production closer to the usage site. Such systems may also be beneficial in regions that lack the power transmission infrastructure necessary to utilize power generated from remote power plants. By distributing clusters of solar collectors over many locations, rather than in one centralized facility, distributed rooftop solar systems also reduce the effect of interference in solar power due to localized weather changes.
The power generated by solar elements (e.g., one or more solar panel or collector) in either a solar power facility or a distributed solar system may be increased by controlling the position and/or orientation of the solar element(s) with respect to the sun. More particularly, solar elements are generally more efficient when they are oriented to ensure that the solar radiation impinges on them at an angle perpendicular to the surface of the solar element. As such, by constantly reorienting the solar element to follow the path of the sun, so that solar radiation impinges upon the solar element(s) perpendicular to the surface of the solar element(s) over an extended period, the solar element(s) may exhibit substantially improved efficiency over the course of a day than is possible with stationary, fixed orientation, solar elements.
However, conventional approaches for providing solar elements that track the sun over the course of a day, or a portion thereof, often require “active” solar tracking systems utilizing electric motors, photonic sensors, and/or electrical circuitry to provide the logic and mechanisms for constantly reorienting the system. Such systems can be relatively expensive to manufacture and maintain, and may require access to a power grid, or require the use of a portion of the power generated by a solar element, in order to function, thereby reducing their efficiency. Such systems may also require regular maintenance, possibly requiring the replacement of expensive and complex parts, in order to function over extended periods. As a result, such active tracking systems are also generally expensive to manufacture and maintain, and provide limited utility in remote locations where, for example, regular maintenance and access to the materials needed for construction and maintenance is difficult.
Alternative approaches to solar tracking, utilizing “passive” solar tracking systems have been contemplated that do not require an electrical power source and a relatively complex electro-mechanical system to operate. However, these systems often rely upon actuation forces resultant from the buildup of pressure within sealed fluidic systems that contain liquids and gases and/or the reorientation of a displacing member due to forces of the earth's gravity acting upon a shifting center of mass in the displacing member itself. While such systems may provide some utility, they still require relatively complex mechanical systems and mechanisms that may increase the cost of manufacture and limit the utility of the systems in remote locations where access to regular maintenance and materials is limited.